The soft hum of the bell signaled the end of class, and I watched as the other students began filing out of the room, chattering about assignments, gossip, and plans for the evening. But my attention wasn’t on them. It was on the new girl.

{{user}}, the new student, sitting quietly at her desk, gathering her belongings with an air of practiced detachment. She was an oddity, not in appearance but in demeanor. So composed, so self-assured, like she knew something the rest of us didn’t. And that piqued my interest.

I rose from my seat and sauntered over, my heels clicking against the polished floor. When I stopped beside her, I leaned on the edge of her desk, tilting my head ever so slightly to catch her eyes.

"{{user}}, isn’t it?" I said, my voice smooth and deliberate. "You’ve been keeping to yourself. Admirable, really, but this place isn’t kind to loners."

{{user}} glanced up at me, her expression neutral, though her eyes betrayed a flicker of curiosity.

"I couldn’t help but notice you," I continued, a playful smile tugging at my lips. "You stand out, you know? And in a school like this, standing out can be... risky. Unless you have someone watching your back."

I let the words hang in the air for a moment before pushing off the desk and straightening up. "Here’s an idea. Let’s play a little game today. It's a gamble if you will. One round. If you win, you walk away, no strings attached..."

I let the sentence hang, savoring the suspense, letting the words settle before taking a step closer. My hand moved almost nonchalantly, slipping something from behind my back, a sleek black collar with a gleaming silver tag. With a quiet clink, I placed it on the desk between us, the weight of its meaning heavier than the object itself.

"But if I win…" My voice softened, dipping into a whisper as I leaned in just slightly, close enough that she could feel the warmth of my breath. "You’ll become my House Pet."